Testing the Bonds of Love
by Someday123
Summary: A new overseas adventure for SPR. A bride was murdered on her wedding day and a old girlfriend of Naru's who is putting a threat on Mai and Naru's relationship, plus a well-meaning but meddling family. Get ready for fireworks.
1. As long as its a one off thing

**_A/N HEY! this is my first ghost hunt novel and am still getting use to the charecters. Naru is intentionally ooc here in the first chapter as I needed to set the scene but have done my best to keep it semi-charecteristic. Sorry about any spelling/punctiation mistakes, they really arn't my fortay. Anyway please R&R._**

**_Disclamer: I do not own Ghost Hunte (D: sadly...)_**

* * *

><p>Mai stood, leaning on the edge of the wooden desk, ready to make and escape if she overstayed her already almost non-existent welcome. Staring with intensity at the boy of 18 who sat in the large, plush leather chair, reading his file she had just fetched as requested from the cabinet on the other side of the dark office.<p>

"Mai...?" he asked from the pages of his file.

"Yes, Naru?" He lifted his gaze from the pages in the file to her. Their eyes locked for what, for Naru was a long, long time whereas most of us would have counted two.

"Mai, I know you get endless enjoyment out of standing here and watching me work but it really is the most distracting thing in the world so..." he was lost for a moment as for what to say, (what he wanted to say was get out on pain of death. But he didn't,) finally he sighed a heavy sigh. "Mai, go and get me some more tea, and this time I expect it to be HOT when it is brought to me, not so cold I wouldn't let penguins swim in it." He half scolded half mocked.

"You narsccistic, arrogant, vain, tea-drinking, unappreciative..." Mai muttered under her breath, but load enough for Naru to hear.

"Moron?" Naru finished her little speech with an all-so-knowing smirk. Mai hopped of the desk, managing to trip and twist her ankle in the process as only Mai can. Naru reached out to steady her as she muttered "jerk" under her breath before standing up straight and heading to the door.

Before she reached the heavy wooden door which broke the floor to ceiling book cases which lined the walls of Naru's office. She swivelled on her ankle (the one that she hadn't twisted (the other one throbbed like mad)) and smiled at him.

Naru, whose eyes were still following the small girls figure as she moved around the dingy room. When he saw her smile he returned it with a smile of his own.

Only two people were allowed to see Naru smile, Mai was one, and Gene was the other.

Mai slipped out of the room silently and Naru's head dropped straight back into the file that lay, half forgotten in his hands.

Mai almost skipped to the small kitchen but stopped herself, calmly walking the length of the lobby to the kitchen. As she waited for the kettle to boil she reached up and set two mugs on the counter top and added the tea.

Then the door to the office opened just as Mai started to poor the tea, forgetting herself she rushed into greet the clients falling over her feet as she did so, sending burning water all over her arms.

A gasp went up from the assembled crowd. Mai looked up, her eyed stinging with tears. She could see Bou-san, John, Ayako and Yasuhara standing in the doorway looking down at hear.

Hearing the crash and exclaims from the people in the reception Naru walked out from his office/lair. He had a face full of glare and a speech about work rate and noise level. But when he saw Mai on the floor and the steaming liquid all around her, his anger fizzled out.

He crouched down next to her and helped her into a sitting position rather then spawled face first on the wearing carpet. He looked at her arm and sighed. "Mai, can we get one day where you don't break, blister, bump or bring to a halt yourself or my office?" he asked in exasperation.

She moved to get up and once standing, took a step forward, wincing at a blister which was beginning to form on her right foot where she had spilt yet more boiling liquid. She winced again when she put her arms out to steady herself.

_We're never going to get to the kitchen at this rate, and I have a stack of paper-work which Lin so kindly deposited on my desk 40 minutes ago, just as we were opening._

Naru, in a bid to hurry her along, gently, but swiftly lifted Mai of her feet and into the kitchen where he deposited her on the side.

He gently started cleaning and wrapping Mai up and was done swiftly in around 10 minutes. He should have had enough practises by now. Mai somehow managed to injure herself every other day.

He helped her off the side and examined her mummified forearms and ankle, once he was satisfied they were done up safely he looked into her eyes. "Now, if i go back to my office do you think you can stay out of trouble?"

She nodded her head, painfully aware of the four characters standing, smirking in the doorway watching the scene play out. She was also aware of Naru's long pale fingers being intertwined with her own. This combined was enough to send her into a light pink blush.

With a small smile that only Mai could see, Naru lowered his head and almost brushed a soft, caring kiss across Mai's lips. Hearing the cat-calls and wolf whistles from Yasu and Monk he refraind from getting to passionate with Mai at that moment.

He broke their bubble and turned with a scary Naru-style glare to face his four employees. Reminding them for what seemed like the 300th time that: his office was not a cafe and that noise which should not exist in the first place should be kept to a minimum. Both he and Lin had a large amount of work left over from the last case to deal with and it needed to be completed TODAY!

Finally he finished his lecture and returned to his office.

* * *

><p>Mai was just brining the tea cup out of the kitchen and into the main reception area when Ayako burst through the door of the SPR office. She stopped in the middle of the room looking very un-Ayako like!<p>

Her hair was a mess, some stuck to her forehead, some sprouting wildly in all directions, her beautiful flame read skirt which matched her wild hair was caked in mud and dust from the bottom to the middle of her calf! Plus her beautiful face was about 3 shades paler than Mai's best ever I've-just-been-attacked-by-a-ghost look.

Mai (carefully so as not to spill any of its precious cargo) dumped Naru's cup of tea onto her desk which guarded the doors to the inner lairs of Lin and Naru. She gasped when she saw Ayako bend double, clutching her side. "Ayako? What's the matter?" she said as she steered her to the couch.

"Ran...All...The...Way..."she muttered in between wheezes. "Got...A...Stitch..." the wheezes were coming lighter and further apart and her eyes were turning from blood shot red back to there white-and-black contrast.

Mai jumped up and ran toward the desk, bringing Ayako the tea which was ment for Naru. He could wait, Mai thought to herself. Serves him right for not being home at a reasonable hour last night. Smiling seacretly to herself, she sat on the couch opposite as Ayako gratefully sipped the tea.

_Get you, Mrs. Domesticated!_

_**Gene! Not now, look at Ayako! Shes obviously terrified!**_

_Fine i'll go Lin's shiki are on to me anyway, but call me as soon as she leaves! Your my only line for gossip around here, my good for nothing brother is use-less! Goodbye sister!_

_**Gene! I am not and most probably never will be you God-forsaken sister! Not if your brother has anything to do with it!**_ But it was too late, Gene had left.

"Ayako?" Mai ventured again.

The miko whipped her eyes up to look at Mai, "Mai, something terrible happened..." mai lent forward and gripped Ayako's free hand. "i think...I think Bon-San has asked me on a DATE" she gasped watching the amusement Mai was trying so hard to repress twitch at her lips and give her away as it danced in her gleaming chestnut eyes.

'Mai!' she cried, bording on tears. 'This is not funny' No matter how hard Ayako protested the dancing delight continued to sparkle in Mai's eyes

* * *

><p><strong><span>(Naru's POV)<span>**

I was sat at my desk, expectidly drumming my fingers on my desk, my chin cupped in my free hand. _It can't be long now. Mai never takes to long on a cup of tea. Okay well maybe on, urm. _

_**394 occasions? **_I look around in bemusment. _**Psst! Bro! **_I look down at the open draw and see Gene smiling out of the mirror I keep in my second left hand draw. Mai had found it once and had called me a vain moron but i like it so i keep it.

_GENE! How many times have i told you to __not__ appear in my office like that! If you wish to speak to me do what you do to Mai. Pop in and speak to me in my head!_

_**How did you know that? And because brother, i like to be able to see the face of people i talk to. Apart from Mai. Its funnier to read her than to see her.**_

_I know about your mind convocations because Mai tells me about them as part of this funny thing called a relationship we're in!_

_**Oh, really? Did she tell you about the time that she dreamed that we were alone, in the office kissing? **_I was silent, glaring at the mirror. _**Relax, relax it never happened, jeez i though having Mai might actually light you up. But i'm going and i thought i would tell you, Ayako's out there which is why you have no tea. **_

The image of Genes smiling face vanished, to be replaced by my scowling one. I got up and stalked out the room, shoulders round my ears. 'Ayako, for the last time this office is not a..' I trail of as she spins around and looks at me, tears welling up in her eyes.

I cross my eyes to Mai who mouths something like: 'girl trouble...Monk...date' i sigh tea from mai will be a long time coming and i'm in no mood to stand and make tea with a hysterical miko in the next room so retreat back to my office, my scowl set deeper on my face.

* * *

><p>Mai watched as the door slammed shut behind Naru before turning back to Ayako. "Right, start from the beginning." She said as she saw normality begin to wash over her colleagues face.<p>

"About 20 minutes ago Bou-san called and asked if i would like to grab a movie tonight as a kinda date"

"Okay what did you do?"

"Ran straight here" Mai looked at her friend in wander.

"Did you even hang up the phone"

"No! Mai, he asked me out...on a date?" a smile spread across Ayako's face. "Maybe... that would be okay as long as it dosen't become a ongoing thing" Mai, rolled her eyes and smiled. The she went and picked up the phone and called Monk.

"Mai?" he asked, his voice full of worry. "Is Ayako there? I called her to ask her ermm something and then i couldn't get an answer, it sounded like she dropped the phone. I thought she collapsed to a went round there and her front door was open..." he trailed off breathlessly.

Mai tried her hardest not to laugh at him. "She's fine Bou-san, shes here and safe. She'll meet you outside the theatre tonight what time. Um-hm, Um-hm yep i'll tell her, bye Old man" (she added the old man part as he called her short).

"Right, go home get sorted and meet him looking your best at 9" She laughed at her perplexed look. "what shall i were?" she cried looking at Mai in curiosity. "What did you were on your first date with Naru?" she asked.

Mai couldn't understand why it made her feel so un-easy, it was a simple question. "I don't think we've ever had a proper 'date'" she said finally.

"Disgraceful," she muttered to Mai before turning to look at the door behind which Naru was cowering. "Disgraceful" she pretty much screamed through the door.

Finally, an hour later with her hair, clothes and make planed she swept out the office. The spark back in her eyes.

Then Naru poked his head out the door and looked at Mai. "Do you really want to go on a date?" he asked her, looking deep into her eyes. "umm, well" Mai stammered, un-sure how to answer.

Naru felt a weird sensation in his chest, was that guilt? For what not taking her on a date? It's not like she ever asked for one. But one look at her face told him all he needed to know. "Come to my place at 5:30 tonight and we'll have a date" he said, not totally happy with the idea. "But as long as this doesn't become a long term thing." He stalked back to his office with one last demand for tea.

Mai smiled to herself as she moved to the kitchen. Her first date. Plus it was with Naru. Could this day get any better?

Yes, her conscious replied, the dates tonight! She let out and involuntary squeal! Then, remembering herself she shoved her hand in her mouth to stop the noise being heard, her eye sparkling with anticipation.


	2. Mai's inquisition

**_A/N This is where the T rating will come into effect..._******

* * *

><p>"Mai, your late, again" Naru scolded as she walked through the door to the SPR office at 9:01. She glanced at the clock and glared at her narcissistic boss.<p>

She sucked in a big breath of air, "WHAT THE HELL? It's a minute! One stupid minute! Not even that! 30 blooming seconds! You walked in 2 minutes before me! I know you did 'cause you were the one who flipping drove me over here! It's your fault! Its all your fault Naru! It was _**your **_idea for me to stay over last night! It was _**your **_idea to go home at god knows what hour, then stay up for hours on end! IT'S YOU BLODDY FAULT I AM BLOODY LATE!" she said all in one breath, finally stopping to pant slightly. She was getting ready for round two when Naru smirked for 3 whole seconds before something caught his eye just over Mai's shoulder. She gave him a quizzing look before pivoting slightly to look at the common area behind her. The sight that met her eyes made her turn 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 shade of scarlet which have not yet been charted. She cursed quietly in English under her breath. (Naru had been teaching her for the last 6 months, since they had started dating and his second life had become public knowledge. She was not great, but she was getting there, and curse words were here speciality)

"How. The. Hell. Did. You. Get. In?" Naru said through teeth that were so tightly held together Mai was surprised they hadn't broken. But before an answer came he turned around and marched over to the tiny closet like office of Lin muttering "Mai, tea" as he went. Leaving his young girlfriend to the merciless questioning of Ayako, Bou-san and Yasu.

Bou-san was on his feat running full force at the young girl. He grabbed her in one of his rib cracking hugs until Mai, who's eyes were popping out if her skull muttered "ne-eed a-ai-ar" and Ayako true to formed waked him over the head with her purse once, then over his arms, shoulders and chest 8 million. Finally he was able to stand up, and Ayako stopped with one last *whack* and a mutter of something which could well have been "rupid maka bunk" but was most likely "stupid baka monk"

"Sooo," Yasu said swaying back on his heels with a extremely scary grin on his face. "you spent the night at Naru's last night." It was sent inquisitively, but it was a statement, not a question. Mai felt two sets of hands grab her an arm each. They began to tilt and spin her this way, that way at one point the person on her left picked her up and attempted to turn her upside down. Just as he was about to thou a familiar *thump* echoed through the room so in the end she landed in a heap on top of Bou-san. Yasu began to chuckle, "you better get up before Naru sees and kills you in a fit of jealousy" Mai smiled, but scrambled to her feet, knowing, scarily, there was an element of truth to that. (not 3 weeks previously a guy's car 'mysteriously' combusted after he had honked at Mai as she and Naru walked down the street outside the office. Strange huh?) "Yeah, or Ayako" Bou muttered once the air had returned to his lungs. This earned him another smack from the large leather pocket book said person was holding. "Would you stop women? I'm be black a flamin' blue in a minute, and to quote my beloved sister it'll be _all your fault" _he said the last part in the worst Mai interpretation ever. Ayako raised her arm for another swing as Monk let out a yelp and dived behind Mai, who was laughing so hard at the unexpected show before her, she was wandering how she was ever going to recover.

Ayako sighed and sat down on the sofa next to Yasu, gesturing for Mai and Monk to do the same. They moved forward as on. Monks grip on Mai's arm was so strong that they would almost certainly fall off any minute from blood loss, or at the very least bruise. Once they were all seated, the inquisition began. Firstly, Monk had to get the ball rolling with a question he had been holding back for almost half an hour, "what was his apartment like?"

Mai sighed, resigning herself to answering the multiple questions which undouptably were heading her way any minute. "It's nice, mainly black and tan walls and furnishings, large, amazing kitchen, three cupboards filled to the brim with tea..." she trailed of, unsure of how to continue. Thankfully (or not?) Ayako had a second question ready, "what's his bedroom like?" she asked. Mai gulped. This was the second worst question she would have to answer and she knew it. "it was nice, same covers, same blinds, same deliciously comfy bed, just like always." Ayako's eyes grew, her pupils dilated to the size of tea cups.

"Are you saying you've stayed over there before?" she gasped whilst Bou-san began to mutter some very obscene words under his breath. "What did you do?" Yasu asked mockingly. Bou-sans head snapped up "did he touch you Mai? Did he try anything? 'Cause I swear to god if he hurt you in any way I'll kill him! I'll blood well..." he went back to muttering. Mai looked around trying to find an escape route, a life aid, ANYTHING!

Then she saw it. She got up, walked calmly across the room. Then she started hammering on the door to Lin's office. "OI! I know you can hear me in there," she yelled through the 4 inches of soled wood. "You got me into this so do you want to get me out of it?" she continued to bang on the door for all she was worth. "No. Not even a little" came the bitter reply from the other side. Mai tried the door but it was locked. In the end she went back to banging and yelling narcissistic jerk over and over again.

She stopped suddenly when the door to the office flew open, banging against the wall behind it. The stud-board shook and a couple of big pieces of painted plaster floated to the ground, joining the small pile which had started to collect on the floor. Mai winced when she saw that. Pretty soon, she thought, there's going to be a hole where that wall is. Then she directed her attention to the pink haired women standing in the door way. "NARU!" she screeched. "I HAVE A CASE FOR YOU!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN hehehe you didn't think i'd let you in on there date that easy did you? I might write it up as a one-shot later hmmm...review if you think that would be a good idea/ you would want to read it._**

**_Anyway, her is the latest chapter of my story, I had great fun writing it, especialy Mai's rant! after i wrote it i left a message on my Beta readers ansewering machine, with me in fits of giggles reading it out to her! (she was the one who wrote my earlier A/N) _**

**_Soo, RxR please, if i get enough intrest, i'll keep going and get working on that one-shot, if not, i'll give it up for dead,,, xxx_**


	3. Guests and a dizzy Mai

A/N Heres the latest chapter, it was originally double this and I have cut it into two slightly shorter ones. If you like this and let me know I'll put the second half up soon. Mini-Mai out! ;)

* * *

><p>"MADOKAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Mai vociferated, jumping up and down flapping her arms so wildly she would shortly take off and start flying around the room like a hummingbird on WWII army issue pervitin tablets. The 4 occupants of the waiting area plus Lin and Naru (who had appeared at the door once the door had shaken the paper thin walls of the pre-Emperor Shōwa office), looked at her with a mixture of mild fascination and wondering as Mai proceeded to have, what seemed, a full blown fit! The small 17 year old girl hurtled forward towards the women who occupied the door-way. Tipping her head back and giving a throaty-Madoka-style laugh, returning the tight embrace Mai was determined to give her. After a few moments, and an encouraging cough from Lin, the two women released each other. Taking a step, Madoka proceeded to twirl Mai, causing an already short skirt to flip out, giving the inhabitants a look at the upper part of Mai's legs.<p>

Lin, ever the observer, noticed Yasuhara lean forward and Yasu's eyes had become, even from were Lin stood- a gap with a 3 meter distance, Lin could see his eyes widen slightly at the edges. HAY! He may be her best male friend/older brother; but he's a 20 year old boy, and when a 20 year old boy sees certain something's, certain reactions become inevitable. Apparently, Naru had seen this reaction and Lin could feel him begin to shake beside him.

_Man! That boy needs to get a grip on his jealousy issues, does he not get how loyal and devoted Poor Mai is to him? _Lin wondered as he stepped towards his soon to be fiancée and the girl she was spinning at a giddying speed around her desk. (Ever since Mai and Naru's relationship had began, Lin, Madoka, and the entire Davies English household, as well as the English branch of SPR had began to refer to girl as 'Poor Mai'. This was after the end of Naru's single and only previous relationship. Which had ended amicably. Enough. With the girl moving away from the family in London. To Australia. To live in a mental asylum...)

Grabbing one girl with each arm, Lin separated them. Holding Madoka at arm's length, he pushed the giddy, hysterical Mai into the steady arms of an unimpressed Naru, who progressed to plonk the girl into the nearest available chair. "Hello Madoka," Naru greeted the woman. "Did you say something about a case?" Madoka tilted her head to one side until her ear was almost touching her shoulder, then after a moment the recognition clicked inside her brain. She turned on her heel and hollered out the door, "LUELLA! MARTINNN!" Once she had finished she returned to the room and sat down, the picture of serenity, on one of the couches opposite the chair in which Mai sat and behind her, Naru stood a look of pure hatred.

"Madoka, tell me that you..." he was cut off as a women with short, gray hair which fell to her shoulders in waves and grabbed him hugging him, releasing him, holding him at arm's length whilst examining him before hugging him again. She must of repeated this about 8 or 9 times, each time Naru repeated "Hello, Mother. You can let go now" in a voice which got more and more agitated each time. Martin smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Luella. Leave the boy be," he said with a smile in a way that assured Mai this was a regular occurrence.

"Is it a crime to love your son now?" Luella asked, looking around the room.

"Yes!" Naru muttered. Mai gave him a look that she realized must be the one he walks around with all day every day.  
>"Darling! You look so much like Naru when you do that!" Luella exclaimed.<p>

"Thanks," Mai said rubbing the back of her head self-consciously. "I've been practicing" Martin laughed and moved towards the sofa were Lin and Madoka were sitting. Dragging Luella with him, he sat on one side of Lin, whilst Luella took the seat next to Madoka. "Father, what is this case then?" Naru asked, pencil poised ready to take notes from a note pad which seemed to have appeared from no-were. "Mai, go make some tea. That's if you can walk." Naru was obviously going to refuse to take the case and that, by no stretch of the imagination, would end well with Luella, Madoka and Mai on the same side. He may be the great Oliver Davies, but, even he's got to admit: Your girlfriend, Mother and Teacher all being in cahoots with each other is kinda...unsettling. (Like I said, he's the great Oliver Davis. He'd never say he's _scared_ now would he?)

Mai sighed, got to her feet, rolling her eyes at the 8 people in front of her, made her way to the kitchen. She wobbled around at first, acting drunk for the sake of her audience, who laughed happily at the sight. That is until Naru coughed to let them know _he _was not amused. Not in the slightest! Then the laugher died away quickly and Mai ambled of to the kitchen. Muttering "Spoilsport, jerkish, narsccistic, arrogant, vain, tea-drinking, unappreciative JERK!" as she went. She must have said the last bit a _little _louder then nesseserily need as it made John, who had just walked in the door, (Lin had called him during the screaming-hugging-I-want-to-kill-my-own-mother-greetings fest.) blush. He always goes red and starts to feel a little bit awkward once _anyone_ at SPR starts fighting. _**(A/N: He may as well give up and become a tomato now then!) **_Irritably Naru tapped his pen on his notepad and gestured for everyone to take a seat as Mai handed out the now made tea. "Father," he repeated. "What is this case?)

* * *

><p>(Mai POV)<p>

The door to Naru's inner haut slammed closed with the force of a 8.9 earthquake. "I take that as a no then dear?" Luella called with her usual cheeriness through to the room were Naru hid. The moment his father had mention the setting of the case, his face fell like a toddler who had dropped his ice cream cone. A few moments later, once the clients name had finally surface, Mai recalled, he had gotten up and stomped to his office in the same way a child in a sulk would do. "That boy," Martin laughed easily. "He has a doctorate, a diploma from Oxford _and _Cambridge and has run a highly successful business in Japan since the age of 17, yet still he refuses to act more the 3 years old in front of his mom and dad." Looking and feeling confused, I looked around the room at my co-workers, all bar Lin and our English guests looked the same as me. Disappointment and confusion. We were confused as to why, after turning down their case point blank, they were so happy and content. The disappointment was because we had all wanted to go the case so badly, I'm pretty sure we would have done _anything_ to go. Some of the currently gathered inhabitants of the room have a longer range of _anything_ then the rest.

Mentioning no names.

*Cough, Yasuhara, cough, cough Bou-san*. I giggle as a recall when Yasu, wanting tickets to go see Monk's band play, had promised to do anything to get them, which had end up with him being arrested for walking strip naked through the centre of Japan, singing 'Narcissist'. I think the charges were never dropped and he got 6 months community service, plus two tickets to go and see the band. But neither of the men had confirmed nor denied it, so I was never sure.

Anyway, finally Ayako got up, dusted imaginary dust of her dress and looked around the room. "I guess that's that then," she said moodily. "I'm going to get something other than _tea_ to drink. You coming old man?" she addressed Bou-san in the same way you would address a stray dog which had been living rough for most of its life and eat nothing but pickled beets. That's to say, with a mixture of horror, distaste and mild affection. "Why on earth would this be over dear girl?" Martin asked with mild confusion. Ayako looked at him like he was mad, "H-he slammed the door, he didn't listen, he…he…" she was stumped, the mighty Ayako was stumped. After looking around sheepishly until monk yanked her back down (slightly on top of him I noticed) "muttering sit _down_ women". I watch them giggling hysterically.

"He's just having a little sulk, he'll be out in no time to tell you to pack up your woobys and doodads" That made us all smile, never in the history of SPR had Naru changed his mind. EVER! And the last time he had a 'little sulk' half a house burnt down and I was trapped with a possessed Masako. (It was a 19th century woman who was interested in ideas wayyyyyy ahead of her time, it made the experience a lot LESS then enjoyable I can tell you.) "He just needs a little help is all," Madoka exclaimed gladly clapping her hands together in front of her. Still giggling, I barely register the look they give each other, then me. I do however pay attention when they mutter in unison, in a voice very similar to Gollum (my precious), say "perfect". I stop dead. "No!" I cry. "Whatever it is No! No! No! No?"

* * *

><p>AN there you go then. hope you liked it, Second half to follow soon. I'd just like to add thank you to a certain friend who has helped me through a hard few days. she knows who she is :) xxx OHH look, a review button. Click on it!


	4. Of on a case

Chapter 4 (Mai POV) I sat at my desk idly tapping my blue bic biro against my lip and day dreaming about a day I'm pretty sure will never happen. I was still deep in my ravine of what if's and make believe when I felt a hand rest gently, but suddenly on my shoulder. I screamed and jumped a few inches into the air. "Mai, when your quite ready, everyone is here and waiting for you in the car park." He then turned in his heel, picking up his laptop carry-on bag and walked out the office and silently down the stairs. Sighing I got up from my chair and grabbed my own bag of the floor. I didn't quite see how Naru thought it was necessary for us to be at the airport for a 5am flight at 2am. Especially as we were taking the privet jet sent by the clients. But that's Naru, and that's why I love him.

Smiling happily to myself, I made my way down the stairs behind him. With every step I took the stair case shuddered and a loud, echoing thud was very loudly heard. I hated those stairs with a vengeance. I saw no need for them to be hollow, and I was so annoyed that Naru could seemingly glide down them without even a light thud. As I reached the car park, I had to bite back a laugh as I saw the scene in front of me.  
>Lin and Madoka, no stranger to this experience sat with a look of general smugness on the bench outside the offices, in clean clothes and a state of semi-awareness.<p>

Yasu sat next to them, nursing a cup of coffee and muttering to a girl who sat next to him. I assumed this was the new girlfriend he had been telling me about the other day as she seemed very upset that he was going away to England for, according to Naru and his parents 6 months to a year.  
>This was one of the reasons Naru was so hesitant to take the case. Apparently there are a string of cases that need Naru's attention back in England as well as some paper work that needs to be looked at for the Japan branch. Naru decided that as we were going to be away so long that he was going to pull me out of school and get Madoka to tutor me in England. It had also been decide for me apparently that Lin was going to be teaching me how to control and harness my powers as a medium.<p>

This, as Naru had divulged to me last night, was because Masako had decided she could not possibly juggle showbiz pressures and cases so had been forced to take a temporary 2 year redundancy from all cases/SPR related business due to the "pressures not even she could endure with her usual good heart and friendly nature". Pffft, I haven't laughed so hard in ages. Poor showbiz diddums. Although I do feel bad for John, who is now pacing back and forth talking to the little madam on the phone. I don't think I could imagine spending the best part of a year away from Naru now that we're dating. (John had flown to see his bishop in Australia a few months previous and had been given blessing by the church to date, and one day marry Masako.)

But, by far the scene I found most entertaining was the newest couple in our team, Ayako and Bou-san. Now, I've seen them both in the morning but nothing like this. Bou had is arm around her waist, propping her up as she rested her head on his shoulder. All of our large baggage had been loaded onto the plane the night before so unless you had thought ahead, you had few clothes and amenities for this morning. Ayako and Monk being the great for-planners they are had not taken this fact into consideration. Monk was in a too-small T-shirt with some band on it, a pair of Hawaiian print swim trunk-shorts and flip flops on, shaggier then normal hair and a 4 o'clock shadow on his chin. Ayako had not taken well to this drastic change to her usual routine. She was void of makeup, had her hair scraped back from her face and was wearing a old dress that looked like she hadn't had it out of a cupboard in countless years. Bleary eyed, Monk was trying to force a large cup of bog standard cart coffee down her throat to wake her up some.  
>I smiled and turned to find Naru. I finally located him talking to his parents over by the cars. I walked up behind him, but before I could speak he turned around to face me. With a quick rise of an eyebrow and a questioning look, he was off to the middle of the clearing were everyone was assembled. "Right, we have 3 cars. Two taxies which take 3 people in each and th limousine which can carry up to 6 passengers. It has been decided by my parents and myself that we should ride in groups. Lin, Madoka and Brown-san," he stopped for breaths as the three people got from were they were sat and grabbed there carryon luggage. "You will all ride together in car A." He pointed towards a green taxi. The three nodded and made their way to the awaiting car.<p>

"Takigawa-san, Matsuzaki-san, and Yasuhara, you will ride in car B" This time he pointed to a red taxi. With a little help from Yasu, Monk managed to drag his semi-conscious girlfriend towards the vehicle. "Mai, you will ride in the limonene with us," he turned to me and grabbed my wrist in the same way you would do for a child who had a tendency to get lost if left to its own devices. "Now come on. We have to get through security and I don't want to be late taking off, it a long flight to England you know."  
>He seriously treats me like I gave mental problems. A voice inside my head, which I'm pretty sure was Gene yelled 'well tell him that you sweet-minded fool!' whilst giggling uncontrollably. I stood for a moment listening to the giggles disappears into the distance. I looked at Naru, who had unbeknown to me, been looking at me for the past several minutes. I met his eyes and braced myself for the response as I said "For god's sakes Naru! I'm not your skivvy, or your maid, or a child! I'm a near enough grown women and I have a brain that works and functions perfectly well, I don't need you telling me what I already know, I've not got mental health problems. I could tell he realised if he retaliated to strongly it would be a very very long flight so he grabbed my wrist and simply dragged me to the car.<br>Without giving me time to say anything he opens the door to the car and raises his eyebrows at me, either a smile or more likely a smirk played on his lips as he watched me try and climb into the car without flashing anyone or stumbling over my bag strap. Finally I managed to slide into the back of the Davis' car and Naru shut the door behind me. He climbed into the other side of the car and the driver started the engine and pulled out of the vacant parking lot. The other cars followed behind, parade style. I looked to the row of seats in front of me, Mr Davis (Martin, Martin, must remember to call him Martin!) read a book and Luella started typing on a laptop that seemed to have appeared from no-where. I looked over at Naru, he was reading something from his black note book he took everywhere with him.

Even, as I found out the other month, to the swimming pool. That day did not end well. I began to splutter with the laughter I was attempting to contain. Naru raised an eyebrow but refused to look at me, which we both know would have caused me to completely fall apart. I got my giggles under control and closed my eyes. I had no desire to stare out the window at a lifeless city so tried to catch up on the sleep I had lost the night before.  
>I rested my forehead against the cool panel of glass that separated me from the silent city that zipped past. I squirmed trying to find a place comfortable enough to sleep but to no avail. Finally Naru grabbed my wrist again and pulled me over until I was leaning with my head against his shoulder like I did on so many car journeys when we were travelling for cases. I felt a bit self conscious sitting in such a position in front (or behind, however you care to look at it) his parents so I tried to sit back up but Naru firmly said "sleep, Mai. You've not slept in over 16 hours and if you don't get some sleep soon voluntarily, I'll make you get some." I knew from experience what he ment and it was not a pleasant experience. I laid my head back down on his shoulder and squeezed my eyes shut. Sure enough I felt the warm, comforting black wrap around me and carry me off to sleep. Before I was fully engulfed by the glorious sensation of sleep, I thought I felt someone's hand slip into mine and start tracing patterns lightly on the back of my hand. It couldn't have been Naru, he never does that sort of thing, even if we're alone, let alone in front of his parents, so I just pushed the thought from my mind and hoped for a dreamless sleep. One uninterrupted by ghosts, and their memories and, as much as I hate to say it, Gene.<p>

* * *

><p><em>I stepped forwards through the deep blue mist that had gathered around my ankles, as if somewhere just out of sight in the vast darkness. Someone's hand landed on my shoulder and I let out an involuntary squeak as I pivoted on my heal to face the owner of the ghostly white hand. "GENE!" I cried, giving a sigh of relief when I saw his face. The warm smile I wish I saw from his twin and the glittering eyes, full of emotion and pain but at the same time perfectly at ease. "Hey, little sister! No need to worry, I won't hurt you" he said, his face pulling into a look of mock offence. "I'm sorry, I know you wont I didn't mean to!" I gushed. Then I heard giggling and looked up to meet his gaze. "Urgh! You stupid *smack* idiot *smack* ghost!" I screamed, hitting him on the arm between every word. "You're *smack* worse *smack* then *smack* your brother!" I finally ran out of breath, bending double I clutched my stomach trying to regain my composure. I felt Gene's hands on my shoulders as he bent down to check on me. "Owch!" he said when I could stand up straight again. "Comparing me to Noll? That really DID hurt!" he laughed at my face, which I felt pulling into a Naru-style-scowl. "Why am I here then?" I asked in an effort to change the subject away from my facial expressions and to the reason I was stood talking to the ghost of my boyfriend's dead twin brother. "I'm right behind you" I felt him whisper in my ear as the view in front of me began to twist and deform until I was looking at a completely different landscape.<em>

_In front of me was a balcony looking out onto a long sweeping lawn lined with Japanese cherry blossom trees like we have back at home, in-between the trees deep blue primroses grew, their yellow centres visible here and there. In the middle of the lawn sat 250 chairs draped in a fine white material with a sash the same colour as the flowers tied in a bow around the back of each chair. I moved to towards the stone carved edge of the balcony and felt the luxurious feel of soft white silk against my legs and the rustle of the starched material as I moved few paces closer to the thick stone separating me from the garden below. __"__**AIRI**__!" I heard someone screech behind me. I turned and saw a young women rushing towards me. "Get away from there! You'll fall and break your neck, we're 4 floors up you know, or, even worse, your lovely husband-to-be will catch a climes of you in your amazing dress, and that really will ruin your wedding! And after all the effort Mama and Lydia put into this for you and James! How could you be so selfish?" she chided, speaking a thousand words a minute. "Sorry" I mumbled. I felt safe with this women and I didn't normally feel like that when a ghost had me relive their memories and it was putting me on edge. The large wooden doors behind her opened. I heard the squeals of young children mixed with the talk of adults and saw a room piled high with gifts, all wrapped in various shades of navy and ice blue paper, stacked between end tables and sofas. "Shizuka, we have a slight problem," a man's head popped around the door. "And I can't find her ladyship or F__ujioka__-san..." He trailed off. His Japanese, though flawless was heavily accented by his English tone, similar to the way Martin and Luella had talked back in the office. "I'll be right there, don't fret" Shizuka called back to the poor boy as he nodded and shut the door. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere, touch anything or get in any trouble," she said as she floated out the room, her ice blue gown swishing at her knees. I sat down on a plush vanity stool and leaned my chin against the palm of my hand. I looked into the small mirror that sat among the pots and tubes that littered the dark wooden surface of the desk. I saw a young Japanese girl staring back at me; she looked just like me except her eyes were a emerald green rather than dark brown. 'GREAT!,' I thought. 'It's going to be one of THOSE cases!' I closed my eyes to stop myself recalling all the other times I had held an uncanny liking to a ghost._

_Suddenly, I felt someone's hand grasp at my hair and twist it painfully. Tears sprung into my eyes and one rolled down my cheek. I opened my mouth to scream for someone to help but there other hand clamped over my face before I got the chance. "It should be me down there not HIM!" the person spat, a there voice as rough as sandpaper. "Get up, NOW!" they demanded, yanking at my hair harder. I did as they said and rose to my feet. They half pulled half dragged me across the room until I was pressed up against the balcony's stone rail. "Go on, take one last look \at your precious wedding" the voice of my attacker spat. "One last look." They repeated before removing their hands from my hair and face. Next thing I knew I was falling backward from the balcony, a scream past my open lips. I braced myself, ready to hit the ground below but before I felt the smack of human on tiles my body went completely limp. _


	5. A plane ride and a change in Naru

A/N I am so sorry about the delay in updates, its just things have been very rough for me and i havnt had time, energy or concentration to write a chapter. But I feel a few idea coming on and as a easter gift to all of you i have add this new chapter, it is completly unedited and fresh from my fuzzy little brain so let me know what you think.

* * *

><p>(Mai POV)<p>

I could feel the moisture in my eyes before I even opened them. I struggled against the cold blackness I was smothered in and my body began to shake with the force of the sobs. I reached out with my hands trying to find anything to pull myself back to consciousness.

Something grabbed my hand, at first I flinched; expecting it to be the cold roughness of the man from the balcony, but instead this hand was warm and smooth. I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes and my body still shook with sobs but I tried to call out. My voice wouldn't work; all I could do was get my mouth move to form the soundless words. 'Help, please Naru, someone, anyone, HELP'.

I twisted and struggled some more and the hands that had caught mine were on my shoulders trying to hold me still. "Mai," a voice spoke to me, beginning to bring me out of the darkness. "Mai, it's me, its Naru. Stop struggling or else you will hurt me or yourself. Good now just take some deep breaths and open your eyes." I slowly opened one eye as I heard Naru's voice, barely above a whisper so as to hide the concern and tenderness from the other members of SPR.

I opened the other eye and looked at the scene before me. We were in the privet plane and I was seated in a plush brown leather flight seat. There was an identical one next to me and a large gap for foot room directly in front. My chair was at the back of the plane and there were six more chairs in rows of two either side of a wide gangway in front of me. In the foot well in front of me, Naru crouched, holding on to my shoulders as the sobs began to subside, his usual mask in place. I looked directly into his eyes. I could see the emotion they held. Concern, worry and relief.

In the last few months I had begun to realise how much of Naru I could read if I look properly. I looked away, embarrassed, confused and upset to find Monk, Ayako and John crowded in the gang way and Madoka and Luella crouched at my arm with Martin, Lin and Yasu stood in the gap next to the opposite window behind the women.

"Hey sleeping beauty," Monk said softly as I scanned the group with my watery eyes. "Finally decided to come back to us then?" I nodded unable to speak or move, not even to wipe the tears that hung on my cheeks and clouded my vision.

"Mai," Naru's voice snapped my attention back to him as he realised my shoulders and stood in front of me. "Did you have a dream about the case?" I mentally scanned the folder containing the vital information about the case Naru had given me the previous day and the replayed the dream over, matching information from the two. They defiantly matched. I opened my mouth to speak but my mind reached the point in my dream where I hit the floor and I could only let out a sob. I bit my lip and nodded my head like an idiot. "Dear, can you tell us what you saw? It could really help you to overcome what you saw which is obviously upsetting you and also help Noll and you all with your work," Luella said from my side. I looked at her and shook my head as another sobbed racked me.  
>"I-I can't, I'm s-so sorry but I just can't," I managed to stammer before burying my head in my hands. I felt Madoka begin to gently rub my back and mumble soothing things in my ear as I sobbed. "Naru," Luella addressed her son. "You will need to talk to her about this dream once she has calmed down but not a moment before." She sternly addressed her son before leaving to fetch me some tea. The rest of the crowd dispersed back to their seats further up the plane. Madoka handed me the tea Luella had brought and steadied my trembling hands. She smiled warmly at me as Naru pulled a curtain around the two sets of seats I had previously not noticed. I smiled back as Naru returned to his seat. "Won't they get a bit suspicious of the curtain Naru?" I asked a touch stronger than before.<p>

"I doubt it very much," he replied in his normal poker voice. "Each set of seats has a privacy curtain just like ours and it perfectly normal to pull them for sleep." I looked at him and he must have seen the worry I felt. "Don't worry, you're not going to sleep, you've been out for the last 10 hours but I thought you might want some time without gawkers." I smiled at him and sipped the tea.

As the sweet, warm mixture slid down my through and spread through my stomach I felt better. "Naru, where are we?" I asked looking around. "I mean, I know were on a plane and all but how did I get here?" I asked.

"Lin carried you onboard when you refused to wake up in the car. We have been flying for around 8 hours and should arrive in England in about 4 hours so just sit back and relax." I sighed and sat back into the luxurious chair. I placed the tea cup in the tray in front of my seat.

"Do you feel like you could tell me what happened in your dream yet?" he asked after a few minutes. I nibbled on my bottom lip, unsure of what to say. Naru, obviously picking up on my hesitance moved from his chair and slid into mine until I was sat on his lap, cradled in his arms. We were hidden from the view of the others by the privacy curtain. I relaxed and rested my head on Naru's shoulders.

Nodding I felt him brush a soft kiss on the top of my head, giving me a signal to begin. Deciding that for Naru's sanity and Gene's safety to leave out the little argument we'd shared. "Well, I saw Gene and he showed me how this young woman had been killed in this gorgeous house," I began. I went on to tell him all about my dream, pausing when I got to the part where the unknown man grabbed my hair. But after Naru pulled my closer to him, reminding me that I was safe, loved and protected here I managed to finish the story.

I looked up into his blue eyes and he just looked back at me, never breaking the eye contact but placing a light kiss on my temple. I smiled and snuggled right up to his chest. "Was that all?" he asked. I just nodded, not wanting to say anything more. "I'll tell this all to Lin when we land. Then either you can tell the others at my father's house or I can if you don't feel up to it."

I smiled as this was the most intimate we'd been in a long time with the others so close. "Thank you for your concern, but I think it will help me to tell them all, including Lin myself. I can do it," I said but quickly added "As long as your there with me." I didn't need to look up to know he nodded.

"I love you Naru." I said, biting at my lip again. We'd been dating for a few months but I still felt nervous whenever I told him my feelings.

"I love you too Mai," he replied, much to my relief. "As much as I'd love to sit like this for a while, were about to land and you need to be buckled back in." I was sad that we had to move but as Naru placed me carefully back into my seat I felt content with the way everything was going.

I stared out the window as we began are decent into London.

* * *

><p>AN this chapter has been a bit of a filler and was intended to focus on Mai and Naru's relationship as well as seeing how the two have changed since they became a couple. I intended to have them challenged and they will both change to make the relationship work. I do not own any of the charecters and am just playing and having fun with them.

There in london town now and how are things going to fair for the group? I aim to have a new chapter in the next few days.

Please leave me a review to tell me how i've done , they always make me happy and inspire me to write more as well as quicker.


	6. Cases and homesickness

**_A/N Here it is. Chapter 6. please don'tkill/shoot/murder me but I have school exams and a crumbling life to deal with so updates are few and far between but they will keep coming so please push on through. I have had so many nice reviews and alert/favourites that I had to write a new chapter. This is un-edited and straight from my fluffy little brain so I hope you like it :)_**

**_Thank you to anyone who has fav/alert/reviewed/read my other co-authored story Communtication 101. Hodgeheg has gone off grid for a bit but I aim to have the next chapter up by the end of this week so look out for that *cough**shameless slef promotion**cough*cough*_**

**_You know the drill I own squat yadda yadda yadda._**

**_Sorry for the long A/N._**

**_Enjoy_**

* * *

><p>"Mai, dear? You in there?" Luella called through the thick wooden door. I heard, I must have but my brain didn't register it until she had opened up the door and looked in. "Mai? Are you okay dear? You have been unpacking for almost 3 hours..." She had obviously noticed the near full bag in front of me.<p>

I looked up, not wanting to make eye-contact. The room I had been allocated by the Davis' was gorgeous. A king-sized, dark wood four-poster bed, draped with thick blue curins and matching satin bead spread, a matching wooden desk and over by the fire, two massive blue armchairs with a dark wood end table placed between them. It felt so homy and welcoming but why did I feel so alone? When we first arrived Naru was all set to share his old child-hood room with me but it was forbidden by, well just about everyone and he had stalked of without another word, leaving me all alone in a room I did not know in a country that was not home.

I smiled at Luella trying to blink back tears that had seemed to appear from no-were. "I'm fine Luella," I lied trying to smile. She however was obviously not buying it.

"Dear girl. I strongly advise you do not lie to me," She began pushing me down in one of the plush armchairs and taking another. "I have been married for 25 years, have raised Noll and Gene and have been in the ghost hunting business for over 30 years. I know lies. Now, whats the matter?"

"It's silly," I said, blushing and looking at my feet. "I just feel a bit lonely. I'm so far from home, and everyone else is on the other side of your beautiful home." She smiled at me as my eyes filled and brimmed over with tears.

"There is a REASON you are on this side of the house dear," she said kindly. "Have you tried the doors yet?" I looked at the five doors in the room. I nodded and walked to the nearest one, on the left of the fire place.

"This one is the bathroom," I said, watching as she nodded before vontinuing to the right of the fire. "This is the closet" She nodded again and I continued to the wall opposite the bed. I pushed back two heavy blue curtains. "These lead to the balcony" I gestured to the double glass doors. "And this is the main door" I pointed to the main door in and out of the room.

Finally I walked to the door next to my bed. "This door is locked" I stated trying the door for emphasis. "I've looked and looked but there is no key." I frowned at my pumps as another wave of tears threatened.

Luella got up and hugged me tight. "Here, try this." She pushed an ornate gold key into my left palm. I slotted it into the door and it swung open. Gingerly I stepped in and looked around. "Mai? What the hell are you doing?" Naru looked up from a desk on the other side of the room."

"I will not allow you to be in the same room," Luella said behind me. "But adjacent rooms propse no problem, as long as you behave." She said with a wink. I launched myself at her in a massive hug with hysterical sobs and laughs as Naru just sighed.

"Thank you, Mother," he said, kindly. (Kindly for Naru at least) "Mai, finish unpacking, we have a meeting with the clients downstairs in 45 minutes." He turned back to his paper work and I skipped back into my room, spirits soaring.

* * *

><p>I walked down the twisting marble stairs to where Naru stood with Lin and two people. I looked long and hard at each person, committing each facial feature to memory, as Madoka had taught me to do to help me interpret dreams.<p>

The women was young, I'd have placed her between 25-28. She looked like she was English but hints around her eyes and mouth suggested mixed Japanese heritage. She was wearing a pair of black heeled shoes that added 2 inches to her height. Her tight jeans and wrap pink top hugged her petite frame complimentary. She stood half behind her accomplice, fiddling with the cuffs of her shirt and her eyes darted nervously from face to face. This women was defiantly agitated and in distress.

Her friend was male, with a five o'clock shadow and messy hair which need a cut. He was older then the women. About 30 maybe. He was tall, almost the same height as Lin. His jaw was sharp and well defined and he defiantly had muscles behind his smart white shirt and black slacks. Unlike his female partner, he was defiantly fully western decent. He had his arm protectively around the women but still looked distressed.

The four-some looked up as I delicately descended the stairs. "Here you are. This is my assistant, Mai Taniyama. Mai, this is Mr and Mrs Price. Our clients." Naru made the formal introductions.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Taniyama." Mr Price said as he shook my hand.

"Mai, please," I said smiling. I liked the couple already, they seemed united, as though they were one person, brought together in friendship as well as love.

"Fine, but you must call us Michelle and Jerry," Michelle said as she stepped into the sitting room. We all took seats. Naru in a chair directly opposite the couch, me and Lin on a smaller couch to his right with the Prices' on the sofa.

"Please, tell us about your experiences in the house," Naru prompted once we were all settled.

Jerry took a deap breath. "We moved into our new house a year ago. For the first month we were happy then it started. At night we would hear crying coming from the guest suit and when I would go and check, the doors to the balcony would be open and there would be the sounds of wedding music playing from no particular source."

Michelle looked up from were she had been transfixed with her lap. "If I am in the house alone I would hear screaming and the sounds of people fighting before a loud thud from outside the patio doors. Then, if I went to look, I would feel an unbelievable cold followed by laughter and the feeling of someone grabbing my hair or wrists and then I would be pushed." She broke down in sobs. Jerry palced a comforting arm around her and rubbed his thumb up and down her arm.

"Thank you, we will of course investigate your case. Please allocate one large room with many plug sockets for our base." Naru said standing up. "Also, for your own safety, please pack a bag and move to a hotel during the investigation. Take only the essentials and leave your house as though you still lived their as much as possible."

He shock their hands once more and left the room. Heading in the direction of the offices at the other side of the ground floor. Lin disappeared too and I showed the couple out. I shut the large front door and looked around, unsure of what to do next when I heard a loud scream.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN OOOO, cliffhanger :P I am just so nice. The next chapter will be pure fluff to move relationships along but their will be humur in there. I havn't written it yet but I will aim to leave out key asspects of plots so if it's not your thing you can skip it.**_

_**I hop you enjoyed it and I will update asap school boys and life permitting. The why the client comforted his wife had happened to me before by a good friend and trust me it works, especially when he is getting annoyed at me being down...**_

_**Please review as they make me update faster :)**_


	7. Fluffy Supprises

**A/N hey, this is what you get when i am told to do ethics revision, opps.**

**This is my first fluff but is not mayjor to the story line of the case so if you dont like fluf dont feel onligated to read it.**

**Big shout out too: twilightangel61090, Artemis-sadie-athena-piper, jaz-147, kur0nek0., symmetricalgirl8deaththekid, xsapphirexrosesxfansx, krissy2lip, magicalmagician, dayis, kekedia, midnightrose613, acexXxechofalls, and fireprincess. Thank you for the lovely reviews! You guys are the best! Re-reading all your reviews togehter inspired me to write this, so this is dedicated to you, for the wanderful reviews.**

**Discaimer: I don't own anything related to ghosthunt**

* * *

><p>I looked up and saw Naru and Mr Davis (Martin, must call him Martin!) jump out from behind the door to the study, John and Yasu poked their heads around the Library door and Luella, Monk and Ayako rushed to the top of the stairs.<p>

In my head I took roll. "Lin and Madoka!" I said to the assembled crowd. "Where are Lin and Madoka?" Everyone looked around, bewildered as to what was going on.

"Lin was heading towards the garden when we came out of the meeting..." Naru said, walking over to me to check I was okay. He reached one arm out to me, ready to turn me every which way to check for scratches but I ducked him and started to the back door, Luella hot on my heals.

"The lake! It's always been Madoka's favourite part of the garden!" She said as we all hurried towards the lake at the bottom of the garden, unsure of what to expect.

What we saw, none of us were prepared for.

Lin was stood with his arm around Madoka's' waist, on the small wooden bridge staring down into the clear water. "Madoka? Lin?" Ayako called across to them. "Are you okay?" Madoka turned to look at us, tears noticeable in her eyes. However, hers' and Lin's ear-to-ear smiles.

"Sorry, we must have scared you" she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"Could say that..." Monk said loud enough for those close to him to hear. Ayako looked furious, and hit him upside the head with the palm of her hand.

"Shut up you old man" she hissed and the two began to quarrel loudly, drawing everyone's attention. While Yasuhara took some quick pictures in his new camera Naru, who was stood directly behind me began to tap his foot and sigh

.

"O, do shut up," he snapped. Annoyed by his rudeness I went to slap him good naturedly on the shoulder but he just caught my wrist and held it fast. I just glared at him and stuck my tongue out instead. "Don't be childish Mai," he said in an amused tone. He just got an hmpf in response. "Lin," he fixed his eyes on the tall Chinese man. "Please tell us what is going on."

"Well," the poor man looked around, desperate for someone to come to his aid. "I just asked Madoka to marry me...and she said yes". For a moment the whole crowed was quite, then, in unison, me, Ayako and Luella all screamed.

"Really?" Luella asked the petite women. All she could do was smile and nod. Ayako and Luella rushed forward to hug, congratulate and oo and ahh over the ring. Martin, John and Yasu ambled off to Lin and then the four-some went inside.

I started towards Luella but Naru still had hold of my wrist. "Naru let me go!" I said to him as the girls all made their way towards the small gazebo about 200 yards back up the garden. I yanked on my wrist once more. But he just walked me back wards until I was almost lent against a tree trunk.

"No." Naru said, pulling me towards him. He lowered his head and tilted mine up with his other hand. Capturing my lips with his, he kissed me soft and slow. It was so romantic it could be out of a romance novel. The type I love but Naru chases me about. My eyelids fluttered closed and I lent into him.

Finally we pulled back, just smiling at each other. I looked around, seeing how romantic and perfect the space was for Lin to propose. A large weeping willow created a curtain between us and the rest of the world.

"I love you Mai," he whispered in my ear, hugging me close once more. I sighed, happy and content to stay in that moment forever.

"I love you too Naru."

"Good, because your mine and don't you ever forget that. Nothing and nobody can ever take me away from you, understand?" He told me, looking deep into my eyes. I nodded, biting on my lip so as not to cry. He took my hand and walked through the curtain of leaves and branches.

"I think you attention is wanted." He said; pointing at the three women sat in a podium in the middle of the lawn waving at me to join them.

I nodded, "thank you" I mouthed at him before breaking the link between our hands and running over to Madoka to hug her and see her amazing ring.

* * *

><p>Later the next evening, we all sat around a large table in a lovely little restaurant a few minutes' walk away from the Davis' large house. After their little announcement, surprisingly it had been Martin who had insisted on taking Lin and Madoka out for a celebratory meal. Avec us all too of course.<p>

To my left sat Naru, and after him, on the end John. Opposite us was Luella and Martin and next to them Ayako and Monk. Sitting at their end was Yasuhara, and to my right sat the happy couple.

We were all smiling and laughing our heads off. We were all drinking champagne, except from me who was still underage by 3 months. I was lumped with coke. Naru also was drinking soft drinks, claiming a dislike to alcohol. I however did not believe him.

"Here Mai, try a sip of this" Madoka said, handing me the most exquisite crystal champagne flute filled with sparkling gold liquid, with her left hand which sported her ring. It was gorgeous! A medium sized diamond set in a thin white-gold band with two deep green emeralds, one set either side.

"Madoka!" Both Lin and Naru scolded. "Mai's still underage!" She just giggled in response.

"Well, we will have to wait till after her 18th birthday to get married," she said mysteriously. "We can't have my maid of honour doing her toast with lemonade now can we?" I could feel my eyes grow to the size of sources!

"M-Madoka, are you serious?" I asked not hoping she was. "Don't you want Luella to be your maid of honour?"

"As a heart attack," was her response. "Luella, Martin, I was hoping you two would give me away, seeing as my mother is too frail to fly and my father died last year." She looked at the couple who just nodded.

"Ayako? Will you and Masako be my other two bridesmaids? And Yasuhara and Monk the groomsmen?" All three people readily accepted with John vouching for Masako. After the Australian priest had finished speaking, Madoka continued.

"John, would you please marry us? My friend has cleared it with her priest for us to use his church and for you to be the priest" John blushed and bowed his head, overwhelmed by the affection behind the request.

"Naru?" This time it was Lin who spoke, addressing the raven haired teenager. "Umm, would you be my best man?" Naru carried on eating his food as though nothing had happened, nodding his head slightly. Mai sighed at this rude act.

"He says he will" she translated to the rest of the group.

"Good, now that that is settled, let's eat!" Martin proclaimed, gesturing to the half finished meals in front of them. They all smiled and continued to eat.

For the rest of the evening, the group was a pile of love. Martin and Lin both had one arm constantly around their respective partners. John and Yasuhara (who had cleared it with Lin and Madoka to bring his new girlfriend, Kouki to the wedding as his plus one) had texted Madoka and Kouki to let them know the news. Thinking no one had noticed, when in reality they all had, Monk held Ayako's hand the whole way through the meal.

Under the table where no-one could see, Naru and Mai's hands were intertwined, and remained that way the rest of the night, even if it did mean eating everything one handed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN there you go the first SPR engagement, please leave me a review and let me know how I did, I tried my best but I'm sorry for any ooc-ness. **

**Kouki is mine as are Michelle and Jerry Price, if you wish to use them please ask me first.**

**Please Review for cookies ^.^**


	8. THWACK THWACK THWACK

A/N Well, here it is. Sorry it is so late! Between dieing computers, family crisis school work and another story (Communication 101, check it out it's awesome!) I just have not had any time to write, plus writers block.

This is the first chapter that has any serious ghost action but it is not much as I am re-famliarising myself with the plot but the next few should be something good, if i can get over me whole "romance not action" thing. Anyway, enjoy read and review please :)

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I own nothing worth bragging about :L<p>

* * *

><p>The next day we all arrived at the large home of Michelle and Jerry Price. It was situated in central London (according to Madoka, who had insisted on being part of the investigation, only 15 minutes from the river thames by underground). It took us around 20 minutes to reach the location by car from Luella and Martins so His Royal Highness had decreed that we will all remain there, only having one room, the spacious dining room with a door leading to the kitchen to use as our base.<p>

We pulled into the underground parking space at around 6:30 in the morning. Having been pulled from my overlay comfy bed at an hour no regular human should see I had immediately fallen asleep on Naru's shoulder the second I sat on the worn seat of the equipment truck. It was larger than normal, holding both myself and Naru as well as Madoka and Lin. According to them both, no attempt was made to remove my head from his shoulder, yet when the van stopped, the three of them simply got out and leaving me to be woken up by banging my head on the seat.

Jerry had shown us around the house, it consisted of a large chefs kitchen with an electric kettle (note to self get one to take on all cases), 6 huge bedroom suites, all with bedroom, bath, closet and small lounge and/or office room, 7 and a half baths, 3 reception room, a formal lounge and, obviously the dining room.

The house was spread over 3 floors, the top two floor joined by a spiraling iron staircase and the first floor by a large sweeping marble staircase, which lead to a balcony landing. It looked exactly like the house from my dreams. I began to bite my lip in worry.

As everyone else began to place monitors on the oak dining table which was pushed up against a wall to accommodate 3 plush sofas and a few armchairs, Jerry asked Naru if he could get the house cleansed by the 4th of July. It was the 20th of June now, giving us little more than 10 days to complete the task. Something in the pit of my stomach told me it would not be that quick.

Once Jerry and Naru's parents had left, Naru began to literally BARK orders around. "Madoka, help Lin set up the monitors, Matsuzaki-San, Takigawa-San start on the top floor and work your way down setting up cameras in each room as you go. Yasuhara-San and Brown-San start at the bottom and take temperature readings in each room and hallway. Mai..." he looked at me in order to address me personally, rather than his note book. "Tea." With that he swept to the small, soft armchair in the corner of the room and took out a fresh, black notebook and began to scrawl.

Everyone began the slow task of completing their orders. I move quietly to the dining room through the door conveniently marked 'in'. Although I am not now and never will be a fan of tea making, I have come to look upon the task as time to think. and there had been none of that whilst I have been in England. I let my mind wander back to my dream as I filled the kettle with water from the large,cast iron taps. It was still freshly there, engraved in the back of my mind. Without my consent, it began to be replayed back to me, getting increasingly real until it reached the very last moments. The THWACK of warm flesh on cold concrete seemed to echo around the kitchen at a deafening decibel. My body began to shake and tears poured as it ricocheted again and again. It just wouldn't stop. I crumpled to the floor unable to move or speak.

A little while later, having wandered where the tea was someone walked into the kitchen and yelled my name. I don't know who it was but they were strong enough to move me to the small fainting couch so conveniently placed in the large dining space. I barely noticed and the change of room did not help the sound, it was always there. THWACK, THWACK, THWACK.

I don't know how long it took for me to finally pass out but much much later in the day I awoke, still on the fainting couch, with a bad crick in my neck and a mass of black sat by my feet. "Hey...look whos up," Madoka said softly to my right. I sat up and looked around the room. Apart from the four of us who had traveled in the van that morning, the room was void of people.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, confused by the way Naru was looking at me. It was a look I could almost place back on previous cases. A look that seemed to say he wanted to protect me, but if he touched me he'd break me or something. Almost like he was scared.

"Naru sent them home around 4," Lin answered as the man himself seemed to have no desire to answer. "Mai, can you try and tell us what happened to make you so upset? You gave us all quite a shock!"  
>"I don't really remember much I," I admitted, feeling rather embarrassed that I had caused such a scene for no apparent reason.<br>"Well, okay.." Madoka said kindly. "If we tell you what you know, can you attempt to fill in the blanks?" I nodded and began to bite my lip again.  
>"Well, Yasu went into the kitchen to find out about the tea and found you sat on the floor crying, and unresponsive to his voice. So he picked you up and brought you in here," Lin began in a very concerned way.<p>

"Not that Naru liked that one bit," Madoka said, looking at the boy in question. I couldn't help but think that there must be something wrong with Naru; normally he'd make some snide remark about jealousy not reaching his heart but instead he kept his eyes transfixed on me.

"Th-Then what?" I needed to know what happened to make Naru act like this...  
>I finally got my answer, and a response out of my so called boyfriend. "You passed out and after 10 minutes began to have a fit and cry out. I went to try and sort you out but you hit out and told me to stay away, and scream over and over that I had already hurt you enough and you wished I would just leave you alone."<p>

This I was not prepared for. Even as he said it his eyes began to fill with worry that he really had hurt me and I guessed this is why he dared not touch me. But, this can't be true! I'd never say that to Naru, even when I am unconscious it has always been obvious that Naru could calm me down.

I searched their eyes, wanting desperately for this to all be a joke, but it was all too real.

Why would I say that to Naru?

* * *

><p>AN There it is, sorry about the cliffhanger, but I write better on cliff hanger endings as it mean i have a reason to write: I want to know what happens next! I never know myself untill it is writen in word! Highly unethical of me as a writer I know, but I HATE HATE HATE planning!

Please leave me a review so I do not completly lose faith in my work and abondon the story all together, and check out my other story and I will love you guys forever!


	9. SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY!

Guys, I am sooooooo sorry about the nonexistent updates for any of my stories! Its exam time atm so GCSE's have taken a priority.

Also, for anyone who follows my computer related antics, you will know that me and technology don't mix. Hence why after a £100 repair job on my laptops software my parents decided against doing anything with my laptop when I split tea on it 2 days after getting it back.  
>ATM I am sneaking onto any laptop that I can lay my hands on (currently in bed with my sisters laptop at 1:30 in the morning-this is the kind of trust I get here, humph) so have no place to write even when I have the time.<br>But a new laptop is finally in the works and a weeks holiday in a tiny cottage with no wifi may be just the thing to get my little house built from writers block knocked down.

My 10 week summer holiday is going to be dedicated to 3 things-

Hanging out with friends

Reading/Writing fanfiction

Earning enough money to pay for driving lessons soon (EEKK)

I also have some vague ideas on some CSI:New York and Stephanie Plum stories, so if you guys have any interest in that just let me know :)

Love Mini-Mai


	10. All Things Swing In Roundabouts

_**A/N I'm BAAACCKK! Alright, here it is, my latest chapter. I wont say anymore now, just enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Disclaimer: Tôi sở hữu không có gì nhưng cốt truyện của tôi và tôi chỉ đơn thuần là thưởng thức chơi với các nhân vật.<strong>_

* * *

><p>I stared at Naru. "Bu-But you haven't! You have done nothing wrong!" I said, continuing to search his piercing eyes for help. "You can't have, wouldn't have, physically couldn't." My ramblings continued for a while. Eventually Lin moved over from where he had been sat at the monitors.<p>

"Mai, go and get some air, clear your head and then we will revisit the matter." I nodded and shakily stood up and moved out of the large dining room and up the grand central staircase. The whole house seemed silent, still, serene. No one was around. I moved up the steps, racked with a sense of guilt and sadness towards the balcony from my dream on the plane.

I stopped. MY DREAM! The whole reason for my episode in the kitchen came rushing back.

I turned and ran back the way I had come. My legs felt strong now and I was practically flying through the air.

When I finally got to the double doors that lead onto the dining room I was running flat out. Naru was stood at the other end of the room, seperate from everything else not moving. "NARU!" I ran at him calling his name. Luckily he managed to catch me when i thought myself at him, wrapping my legs around his hips locking my feet together and my hands grabbed his shoulders.

He looked at me, a mixture of bemusement, worry, fear and anger evident in his normally veiled eyes. Before he could say anything I blurted out everything. "It wasn't you! My dream, ya know, the one on the plane? Well I saw this beautiful bride getting pushed off a balcony on her wedding day by some guy, its the same balcony as upstairs and in the kitchen the ghost kept replaying the sounds of her body hitting the tiles then when I was passed out I just kept hearing his voice, the one who killed the women and she was using my body as a vessel to tell him to go away and leave her alone and that he'd already hurt her! It was the ghost! Not me or you!" I garbled on without taking a breath tears falling from my eyes. Finally I stopped talking and looked at the boy supporting my weight.

Relief washed over his face and we both got tunnel vision. He captured my lips in the sweetest most tender kiss we had ever exchanged, both of us forgetting where we were. Finally we came up for air and the spell that had encased us in our own little world was broken and we became aware of our surroundings. Madoka and Yasu were whistling, cat-calling and heckling us from the sofas to our right whilst Ayako held back Bou-san whilst he ranted on about killing the man that was defiling his little girl.

Finally, with my cheeks burning a strong shade of red, I release my legs a little indicating I wished to be put down, but Naru refused simply walking over to his chair and sitting down with me in his lap, his arm around my waist.

"Takigawa-san, I am hardly 'defile' Mai as you put it, it was merely a kiss,"he said glaring at the older man who was beginning to calm down, in an attempt to gloss over our little PDA.

"Yeah, plus I'm not 'your little girl" either! Um hello? 17? Above the age of consent both in the country we currently reside and my homeland?" I added, getting pretty annoyed that our perfect couple moment had been ruined by my obnoxious family.

They all smiled at me and Yas open his mouth to make some dig at exactly what I was consenting to but Naru cut in before he had a chance to articulate his thoughts. "Yasuhara-san, John, please accompany Madoka to my parents offices across London. I require any and all information you can gather about this houses history, especially anything relating to a wedding..." He trailed off looking at me for some further details. "Airi, the brides name was Airi" I informed the guys before they followed Madoka out towards the garage.

"Ayako, please do a scan of all the rooms in the house, take Bou-san with you to help you take readings and make sure to be in constant communication with base via the walkie talkies. From now on no one moves around unaccompanied and without a way to communicate with base. I have a feeling this is not going to end easily and without someone getting hurt." His had on my waist gripped tighter, pulling me into his hard chest as he spoke. I had a feeling it was going to be a while before he would release me from his hold.

"Lin, please make me, Mai and yourself, if you so wish, some tea," I thought I felt him shudder as he said that, was Lin's tea honestly that bad? "Then we are going to go through Mai's dream again in detail whilst you make notes on you laptop, seeing as I am currently unable to write for myself."

Later that day we had returned to the Davis house after nothing further had happened at the casse. I guess the ghosts whereas tired as I was after our little encounter that morning.

* * *

><p>It had taken a few hours for Naru to finally release me from his lap, after I had quietly explained how, after politely sipping at Lins, er, ineresting attempts at tea, I need to answer mother natures call.<p>

Currently, I was sat in the armchair in my room thinking about what has happened that day, my dream and how different Naru had seemed since our kiss that afternoon.

I had expected him to act shy, reserved, even angry towards me in an attempt to cover over any embarrassment he felt by showing something so private to our whole makeshift family but instead he had kept me close to him the whole day, escorting my to all tea runs and simply holding my hand whilst we watched the monitors.

I am not use to this side of Naru. He seemed so calm and content in England, much more so then I have ever seen him be in Japan. I was beginning to like the change, I felt like a real couple. It was nice.

The white intercom by my main door crackled into life, "Everyone, dinner is nearly ready and Luella wishes to see you all in the dining room in 5 minutes to introduce tonights guest." Martins voice left with a crackle of static, breaking me from my trance.

Naru strolled through the adjoining door into my room as though both spaces belonged solely to him. "Ready?" he asked waiting for me to walk down to dinner with him.

Untucking my legs from where they had been placed underneath me I nodded and slowly made my way out of the room. "Mai, you're walking odd, is your leg okay?" Naru asked, dropping back a couple steps to see me walk. Biting my lip to hold back giggles I nodded, "Pins and Needles, they are almost gone now" I reassured him, swinging into the drawing room adjacent to the dining hall.

I stopped dead. By the extravegant firepalce stood a beautiful girl about Naru's age. She was impossibly slim with neverending legs and poker straight blond hair that hit her hips. She turned to see who had entered and her electric blue eyes scaned over me befor setting on the boy at my side. "NOLL!" She rushed over to him giving him a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again! I knew you'd come back to me!" And with that she places a kiss square on his lips.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN **_

_**Thank you so much to all the follows/faves/alerts I have had in my time away. GCSE's are done and out the way and I am officially on Summer (WHOOP WHOOP) so to celebrate that, and me getting my own laptop again, here is another chapter.**_

_**Many of you know I am hopelessly romantic hence the large amount of fluff in this chapter but the next few chapters are going to give Mai and Naru's relationship a beating so it is kinda need. Plus my future cases are kinda hinged on a slight change in private-life-Naru that begins with an OOC work-life-Naru. **_

_**Also you have more case to come and to do that the gang needed to hear the dream that Mai had on the plane as it had not been released to everyone yet.**_

_**Stick with me and the case will reveal itself, and it is not going to be a neat and tidy one either.**_

_**I hope (notice the word hope) to update about once a week this summer, depending on my shift pattern and will probably get a few chapters written when I go to cornwall for a week in a tiny cottage without internet connection. But I have found the local wifi cafe and will update if I can as they are written.**_

_**As always, I love you all. Show me your reciprocation of my love by leaving me a review.**_

_**Ellie xx**_


	11. Pale Pink Parchment

_**A/N: Hey guys here it is, (Long A/N at the bottom like normal)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or the charecters, but the plot and the blond "hussy" are mine, all mine :D *evil laugh*<strong>_

* * *

><p>Everyone turned and looked, open mouthed at Naru and the mystery girl attached to his face. The look of shock and surprised lingered on everyone's faces, and soon turned to anger or embarrassment when Naru made no attempt to remove the girl. The only person showing a different emotion was Mai, who looked hurt and confused.<p>

Eventually the limpet detached itself from Naru and took his hand leading him further into the room. Naru just glared back not saying anything but not encouraging her. In short he was the same Naru he had been when he first arrived in Japan. The Naru who thought he could control the world with just his glare. And most of the time was right.

All eyes of the group followed the pair into the center of the gathering where the new addition gave a tinkling laugh at the young boy's expression. "Naru, silly boy," she laughed in a sickly sweet ickle girl voice. "Are you not going to introduce me to you friends?" She gestured grandly around at the assorted members of SPR. "No." That was all Naru had to say on the matter, giving her one last glare he removed his hand from her perfectly manicured grip and turned to walk back to Mai.

Only when he looked back at the door, there was no Mai to be seen.

* * *

><p>Having seen her boyfriend make no effort to remove the girl who was so intent on eating him from his person, all Mai could do was stand in open pain whilst her confused little brain ran through the possibilities as to who this girl is.<p>

Nothing came up and so she was left with more questions than answers.

When the girl moved them away from the door, Mai had her chance to slip out of the room without anyone else seeing. They were all to focused on the newest SPR couple.

She managed to reach the back door before the tears gathered in her eyes and by the time she slumped against the trunk of the willow tree where she and Naru had shared such an intimate moment days earlier the hot tears spilled over onto her cold, windswept cheeks. She had never been more appreciative of the long shielding branches of a Weeping Willow until that moment where she was invisible to the rest of the house.

"How have I been so stupid!" she couldn't help but scream at herself. "He was so caring and kind towards me now. I thought he'd changed, I-I-I thought I'D changed him." The tears took over and the sobs racked her body as she leant against the sturdy trunk of the large, forgiving tree.

When Mai finally returned to the house she appeared to be alone. No one was in sight and the living and dining rooms were empty. Cold and tired Mai climbed the stairs and decided a hot bath was needed before she could crawl into bed and cry herself to sleep.

When she opened her door she found a small scrap of paper had been slid under it. Ayako's handwriting covered the pale pink parchment;

_**Mai, We have all tried to talk to you, even the great narcissistic one, but I guess you aren't in the mood to chat. Naru and Lin along with the Davis' and Madoka have gone to see his grandparents in Essex overnight and will meet us all at the house tomorrow. Seeing as you weren't answering the rest of us are going out to eat as there was no dinner served here and assumed you wanted some alone time. If you need anything call us and we'll be right there. All our love, Ayako, Monk, John and Yass. **_

In the bottom corner Yasu had added a P.T.O sign: _**P.S I think you might want to take a look at the information I gathered today. Green folder on the coffee table downstairs.**_

With a sigh, Mai decided she was too tired to call anyone and let them know she was okay. Instead she ran the bath she had already planned and after adding lots of sparkly pink bubble bath and turning the jets up full blast she ran and grabbed the folder Yasuhara had left her on the table.

Having barely managed to get in and out of the fateful room without fresh tears consuming her body, she dived into the hot, steaming tub to try and relax and read the case file.

The file started out pretty boring and mundane. The house had been built in the early Elizabethan period by some rich friend of the queen. Since the house has been passed through the ownership of some of England's most prestigious aristocrats until in the late 1800's it had been given to the daughter of the Earl of some posh sounding place Mai had never heard of.

The house was to be setting of her wedding to an English boy of high standing, with the idea that after the ceremony it would become their home. The Earl had been subject to a lot of scrutiny after marrying and having a child with a Japanese girl, The Earl had met whilst in the Army as a young man. So it was hoped that by marrying James, the englishmen his beautiful daughter, Airi, might somehow ease the scrutiny against her father.

However, due to her mothers Japanese heritage, Airi was a beauty rare to Victorian England. She had many suitors lined up at her door and although James had not been a traditional courtship, simply a childhood friend who had fallen as deeply in love with Airi and she had with him. This had led to much unrest with the traditional suiters of The Earls Daughter. One suiter in particular in fact.

William Wheeler, a member of the house staff The Earl employed had fallen emphatically for the young women and, despite there being no reciprocation of his feelings, had managed to figment a relationship between himself and the teenager.

This mental instability had eventually led to him murdering the bride on her wedding day in a spiteful act to stop anyone enjoying what he was unable to obtain. There was no mention of how Airi was murdered or what had happened to William after the event except for the simple line printed on the end of the folder. William did not live to see the next sunrise.

Despite the lack of details over the eventual fate of William and the murder of Airi, Mai knew two things to be true: First she knew every single detail of the encounter between the pair and it was most definite proof of Williams mental instability and secondly, both William and Airi were present in that house, locked in a constant battle of good vs evil.

Tired from taking on all this new information Mai drained the tub and climbed between the luxurious sheets on her bed. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts were not of how to fight this case, but how to win in combat against an enemy she had never encountered before...

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hey guys, I know Monday isn't the Sunday upload I kinda promised some of you guys but life, work, friend melodrama and the fact I managed to break my computer after a week (my best is still 2 days, honestly I am death on technology) kinda got in the way :(.**_

_**Add in the fact its like 29 degrees here at the moment an I do not respond well to heat does result in a delay in updating even if the chapter is written.**_

_**Please tell me what you think, all constructive views welcomed here. I have the next chapter almost done and the more reviews I get, the faster I write and upload as few reviews kinda make me second guess my work /: **_

_**Anyway review and come to the dark side... I have homemade white chocolate chip Millie's Style Cookies **_


	12. A Change of Direction

A/N HEY!... look I know its been almost a year and that this is a crap excuse as I have no excuse but I really needed to take a break from life and kinda checked out for a few months. Right now things are no better, and they probably wont get better any time soon. But reading all of your lovely work kinda inspired this to come out. I've lost where I was taking the original plot and to be honest I dont think the case was that strong (if I'm wrong tell me and it will be worked back in!) This is more of a focus on the dynamic that Mai and Naru's relationship has created within the team, but it is necessary for where the story is going. The conversation between Yas and Mai is very loosely based on a conversation I had with a friend of mine about her love life, with certain details omitted. The rest of this case is also based loosely on this person but it will make sense I promise! Please just read and give me some idea od where you want this to go. But trust me, you wont know where the newest danger to Mai's life is coming from.

Disclaimer: I own zilch. Not even a car. Yet.

* * *

><p>"Mai?" Yasu slipped his head round the door and saw in the half light the rising sun threw across the room that the small figure of his best friend lat bolt upright in bed. "Hey little lady why are you not asleep?"<p>

"Little lady? Yas, you watch to many westerns!" Mai said in a more upbeat tone then either of the two parties expected, although it was nowhere near her normal tone.

"Sora loves them and they remind me of her what can I say?" the college student moved over to sit on the edge of the bed as Mai smiled and rolled her eyes, focusing his eyes on the petite brunette. "How you feeling?"

It was a simple question but it was too hard to answer. Mai simply glanced at her lap. "Let me guess, numb betrayed, like punching Naru right in his floozy kissing mouth?" Mai looked up, almost as though Yasu had punched HER in the mouth. "I would never punch Naru! At least not because he kissed someone!" Mai looked shocked even as the imaged played through her mind. "No one would blame you though..." Yasuhara started but a look from Mai silenced his protests. He sighed deeply. "Here I brought you this" Yas handed her a bowl full of strawberries topped with a dollop of canned cream he had been hiding behind his back. Mai took the bowl but held back from eating anything, simply giving her friend the 'and?' look until a full can of the cream was placed in her lap. Mai tipped her head back and squirted the cream straight into her mouth until she almost couldn't breathe. "Ank oo" she mumbled as the sticky white mess oozed down her throat.

"So, do you have any idea who that, um, young women was?" Yasu asked gently. The 4 members of SPR had spent a long evening and even longer night discussing the incident before it was decided Yasu would come and get the information they craved. Mai simply nodded as she scoffed the sweet red fruit, her favourite like she hadn't eaten in days, which was almost true. The silence that passed between them was heavy and filled with questions, but it remained until the bowl was virtually sparkling clean. Then Mai looked up and began to speak, quietly at first. "Yas, what I'm about to tell you can go no further and I need you to be my friend, not my older brother figure, okay?" Before a response could be formed Mai continued, her voice stronger now. "I would be naive to think that Naru had not had girls before me and seeing as he is not my first boyfriend, I am in no position to judge. We have had a long discussion about our past, cleared the air, and from what I know to be true, I think that girl was Naru's first...ya know, SERIOUS girlfriend, if you can even call it that. Basically after Gene went missing, Naru went off the rails a little, sneaking out, going to bars, that sort of thing and there was this one girl who wouldn't leave him alone. Eventually he gave in and they had a very casual relationship. A form of stress release, similar to what I had with that American exchange student right after I met you." Mai paused to catch her breath and Yasu quickly piped up with "WAIT, so Naru is not a..."

"Virgin?" Mai finished for him. "No, just like I'm not. You know that, quit looking at me like that! Neither of our first times where perfect, his was to get over the death of his brother and I rushed into something I thought I was ready for when I wasn't. It's partly the reason we've waited, if we can't be each other's first then our first time with each other should be special."

Yasu studied the girl for a while, not wanting her to close up after telling him so much. "I get that, I think it's lovely you both want it to be right, it should be right for you. But why didn't you stay and talk to one of us, to Naru if you knew who that tramp was?"

"Because I have never had to DEAL with and ex before, I have always been the ex. I feel so hurt and betrayed and it totally unjustified," Mai sighed a deep tired sigh. "Would you mind if I went to sleep now? Its nearly 3 and we've got to get up early to go to the house?"

Yasu nodded and got up to leave. "Mai, everything your feeling is justified." As he let the room he was surprised to just hear silence, but when he turned to close the door he could see the sleeping face of his best friend and knew she has heard nothing of what he'd just said.

* * *

><p>The next day came and went almost uneventfully. The group of workers who had been left out of the family reunion trip made their way to the haunted site in relative silence. Mai knew Yasu had given SOME details to the gang to ease their minds but no one was in the mood to deal with an upset Mai as it would result in one of her new guardians punching a certain minor in the nose.<p>

Mai, being the most work focused member of the gang decided upon a plan of action for the day. John and Monk would do half hourly walkthroughs and temperature monitoring, Yasu would go to the library in the basement to research the history of the house more and her an Ayako would take it in turns to watch the monitors and keep the others company. Thankfully all was quiet and the day passed boringly.

Mai was on, what she hoped, was her last tea run of the day. Naru was still in Essex but she fault odd not making tea all the time, it was a ritual she had come to love to loath. She was just coming into base, a tray full of mugs for her and her little family when she heard three voices she wanted to hear least in the world. One was normally happy and bubbly but seemed to be ranting at something. Mai loved Madoka but just could not deal with her over caring nature right now. The person she was screaming at answered her in a voice that made the hair on the nape of Mai's neck stand on edge; it was the ickle girl voice from the night before. Finally Naru's voice boomed throughout the large dining hall halting all other sounds and the two women stormed to opposite sides of the room, like boxers being sent to their corners. Mai attempted to slip out without being see but Naru had seen her and called out her name, alerting everyone to her presence.

She wasn't ready to see him yet so she attempted to run out the way she came, down the stair case to the basement. She need to talk to Yasuhara now more than ever, but when she reached the top of the stairwell the whole world went icy cold and something caught around her ankle making her fall head over heels down the stairs.

Alerted by the sudden noise everyone rushed to see what had happened. But when they arrived all they could see was Mai's body lying lifeless outside the door to the library at the bottom of the steep concrete steps.

* * *

><p>AN so there it is. Please read and review. No promises of a next update. Need to know what you guys think of this before I can commit to taking it any further.


End file.
